1. Technical Field
Various embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a semiconductor apparatus, and more particularly, to a three-dimensional semiconductor apparatus which uses through-silicon vias.
2. Related Art
In order to increase the degree of integration of a semiconductor apparatus, a three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor apparatus comprising a plurality of stacked chips has been developed. The stacked chips provide a structure that enables the 3D semiconductor apparatus to be packaged in a single package. Recently, a through-silicon via (TSV) type semiconductor apparatus has been developed in which silicon vias are formed through a plurality of stacked chips so that all of the chips are electrically connected to one another.
The three-dimensional semiconductor apparatus has a plurality of TSVs so that the plurality of stacked chips can commonly receive various signals. Various defects, however, may occur in the TSVs. For example, the defects may include voids created due to incomplete filling of a conductive material in the TSVs, bump contact fails caused by the warpage of the chips or the migration of a bump material, cracks in the TSVs themselves, etc.
Since the TSVs electrically connect the plurality of chips, if a defect occurs and a TSV creates an open circuit, the TSV cannot function properly. Therefore, a defective TSV must be replaced with a functional TSV.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a repair operation of a conventional repair circuit of a semiconductor apparatus. FIG. 1 shows first through fourth TSVs TSV0 through TSV3 for transmitting first through fourth signals SIG<0:3> and two repair TSVs RTSV0 and RTSV1. Signal lines for the first signal SIG<0> are disposed such that the first signal SIG<0> can be transmitted not only through the first TSV TSV0 but also through the first repair TSV RTSV0 and the second TSV TSV1, and signal lines for the second signal SIG<1> are disposed such that the second signal SIG<1> can be transmitted not only through the second TSV TSV1 but also through the first and third TSVs TSV0 and TSV2. Signal lines for the third signal SIG<2> and the fourth signal SIG<3> are disposed in the same manner.
The repair circuit is configured such that, when a defect occurs in one of the first and second TSVs TSV0 and TSV1, signal transmission can be detoured through the first repair TSV RTSV0, and when a defect occurs in one of the third and fourth TSVs TSV2 and TSV3, signal transmission can be detoured through the second repair RTSV1. Accordingly, if a defect occurs in the second TSV TSV1 and transmission of the second signal SIG<1> through the second TSV TSV1 becomes impossible, the repair circuit allows the first signal SIG<0> to be transmitted through the first repair TSV RTSV0 and the second signal SIG<1> to be transmitted through the first TSV TSV0. In this way, a signal is transmitted by being detoured around a TSV in which a defect occurs. While not shown in FIG. 1, the repair circuit has multiplexers provided at terminals which transmit and receive the first through fourth signals SIG<0:3>, so that signal transmission paths can be changed. In the conventional repair circuit, since at least two signal lines should be disposed for each TSV, the area occupied by the signal lines is substantial, and the area of the multiplexers for transmitting and receiving the signals markedly increases.
In the conventional art, one set of TSVs is formed by allocating two repair TSVs for a predetermined number of TSVs (four TSVs in FIG. 1). However, since about 200-300 TSVs are disposed in one three-dimensional semiconductor apparatus, the number of sets dramatically increases. Also, because the number of control signals inputted to the multiplexers to detour the signal transmission paths cannot help but be limited, the control signals inputted to the multiplexers of a plurality of sets cannot help but be commonly used.
While the process for repairing a defective TSV is important, it is difficult to say that the probability of a defect to occur in a TSV is so substantial. In this regard, in the conventional art, since the respective sets commonly use the control signals, signal transmission cannot help but be detoured despite normal TSVs, which results in an inefficient repair process. Further, because the control signals for controlling the multiplexers should be individually generated, a decoding procedure for generating the control signals are involved, and the configuration of a decoding circuit is complicated.